Microsoft Bashes Samsung's Galaxy S III For Crappy Camera In New Ad

But Why Would Microsoft Waste Time Attacking Samsung's Last Phone?

When you're a challenger brand, you pick the biggest competitive target and punch them in the nose, right? Well, Apple's iPhone isn't the biggest target, anymore.

In a new spot, Microsoft is taking on its biggest foe in mobile, and that, apparently, is Samsung. Redmond responded to Samsung announcing its latest phone, the Galaxy S4, by saying the camera on its current phone, the Galaxy S III, kinda sucks compared to the Nokia Lumia 920, a Windows phone.

The ad shows a Windows Phone pitchman offering a challenge to a couple: He will take one photo of them with his Windows phone, and one with the woman's Samsung Galaxy S III. If the couple likes the photo taken on the S III, the pitchman says he will give them $100. But if the couple happens to prefer the Lumia photo, the pitchman will let them upgrade to it for free.

The photo taken with the Galaxy S III comes out blurry, the couple ends up "upgrading" to the Nokia Lumia 920 and the pitchman keeps his 100 dollar bill. Shocker.

Aside from that, one has to wonder why Microsoft would waste the the effort given Samsung just announced their next phone, the S4, and is no doubt ramping an avalanche of new marketing to support it. If history is any indication, the Samsung will devote more money to market the S4 than it has to any campaign in company history. And once the S4 comes out, the S III will relegated to middle-tier consumer status.

The S III, the former "next big thing," is under attack by Microsoft. Meanwhile, Samsung is focusing on marketing the next next big thing, the S4.

Microsoft responded to a query from Ad Age with the following statement: "People's interest in Windows Phone is piquing, and the Windows Phone Challenge is a great way to show how well Windows Phone stacks up to the competition."